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The Berlin Wall: A Symbol of the Cold War

by | Mar 7, 2024 | Cold War Tour Berlin

The Berlin Wall is one of the most iconic structures in history, representing the division between East and West during the Cold War. Built in 1961, the wall physically separated the city of Berlin into two parts, and its construction had a profound impact on the lives of thousands of people.

The Context: The Cold War

To fully appreciate the story behind the Berlin Wall, allow us to first know something about the Cold War. Cold War was an age of conflict between the US and Soviet, which extended from the end of the Second World War till 1991. The two powers were thus involved in a political, economic, military competition propagating their own supposed systems and struggling for world domination.

The Division of Germany

After World War II, Germany was divided into four occupation zones controlled by the Allied powers: This geopolitical triangle was composed of the United States, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, France. Like Hamburg, Berlin – situated in the Soviet zone – was split in a similar way. After the WWII relations between the USSR and the western powers worsened and East Germany and West Germany had totally different political and economic regimes.

Describe the construction of the Berlin Wall

Panic set in the East German government and the Soviet authorities responded by building a wall in late 1989 to prevent a flood of people from crossing through the Berlin wall to West Germany. Construction of what is now famously known as wall started during the night of August 13, 1961, and by dawn there was a concrete, barbed wire and watchtower sega way through Berlin.

Composition and Design of Wall

Berlin Wall of the same nature was built around 155 kilometers (96 miles) around the city of West Berlin thus creating the encampment which segregated West Berlin from East Germany. This wall included two walls apart which was separated by a deep and very closely monitored “death strip”. This area had anti-vehicle trenches, watchtowers and besides the tripwire machine guns.

Also, it had number of check points referred to as ‘border crossing points’, that facilitated restricted traffic between East and West Berlin. Nevertheless, getting across these Checkpoints was not possible without any hindrance, and there were rules that the East Germans should not be allowed to cross these terminals.

The Reception Across Berlin: What It Means for Berliners

Effects of construction of the Berlin Wall The construction of the Berlin Wall left a great mark on the welfare of Berliners on each side of the partition. People were divided thus families and friends were separated Thousands of East Germans visiting or working in West Berlin became trapped in East Germany. For the next 28 years, it completed the division of two Worlds, East from the West.

The Fall of the Berlin Wall

The physical barrier in Berlin which separated East and West was only dismantled when the East Germans finally cried for freedom and change on the 9th of November, 1989. It was the start of the end of the cold war era an paved the way for the German reunification that was to happen in1990.

The Legacy of the Berlin Wall

Break up of the Berlin Walls was not only a sign of the ending you can say of cold war but also for democracy and rights of the human. Currently, few fragments are left and even these things are turned into the symbolic reminder of how people were divided into eastern and western part, stressing upon the values of liberty, togetherness, and tolerance.

Conclusion

The Berlin Wall defines the Cold War and division of society in a city and the people entrenched in it. It has been built and destroyed to stand in history and remind people of the conflicts resulting from political antagonism and the struggle of the captives with oppression. What lessons can we learn from the demolition of the Berlin Wall? let us continue to create walls of friendship and not barriers.

The Berlin Wall: A Symbol of the Cold War